Teddy is the main protagonist of the novel. While is he described by his sister Ursula as having lived his life perfectly, Teddy is never shown to be a particularly happy or satisfied person. He also claims that, besides the war, nothing has ever happened to him. When he joins the military, it is because he is eager for an adventure and despises the world of banking, in which he is working. Teddy describes the war as having erased his identity, rather than having forged him into something better, more courageous, or wiser. The most significant change the war affects in Teddy is his decision that, no matter what happens, he will always be kind. 

Teddy’s commitment to kindness and generosity are demonstrated many times. He takes in Sunny and Bertie when Viola abandons them, and he goes to save Sunny from the Villierses when he realizes how miserable Sunny is. Even his act to smother Nancy during her final moments of suffering is in accordance with her wish, as agonizing as the choice is for him. Early in the story, Teddy states that he would rather live his life than use it to create an artifice by writing a novel about his life.